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Land grab charge: Fourth ex-DMK minister arrested

On Wednesday, the former higher education minister K Ponmudi became the fourth minister in the DMK government led by Muthuvel Karunanidhi to be arrested on land grabbing charges. Ponmudi was arrested from his Villipuram residence, about 160 km south of Chennai.

According to the Villipuram police report, Siga Educational Trust belonging to Ponmudi, took over the land allotted for children's park and community hall without proper authorisation.

Police sources told over phone that the police surrounded the Ponmudi's residence early on Wednesday morning.

Tension prevailed in the area as several DMK workers congregate ouside the former minister's residence when police came to arrest him.

Ponmudi told the press that the AIADMK government was filing false charges against him of land grabbing.

The other ministers arrested in land grab cases since the AIADMK came into power in May are former transport minister KBN Nehru, former agriculture minister Veerapandi Arumugam and former handlooms ministerNKKP Raja.

The government has former various land grab cells in 30 districts and has set up fast track courts to process the land grab cases. In the state, over 450 cases has been registered so far.